What is the origin of Baghrir and how to prepare it?

 Despite the ethnic and cultural mix of the Amazigh people, particularly those living in remote and rugged areas that are difficult to access Despite being the first inhabitants of North Africa and having known Phoenician through the ages , Byzantine, Roman, Arabic, Ottoman and French incursions, Amazigh cuisine was unaffected by all of this.

Nowadays, many Berber cuisines and dishes have become an integral part of our Moroccan culture and identity, and we have long stood out for our authentic Moroccan dishes, including Couscous, Msemen and Baghrir.

The latter is the subject of this article.

Baghrir,

is a tart or pancake of Berber origin which is very popular in North Africa. It is a specialty prepared for celebrations in North Africa of traditional rituals and festivals. Light, sponge pancakes are cooked in the round form on one side only, and are known by the large and numerous holes which can be one millimeter or one and a half millimeters long on the upper side. These small holes appear gradually during their cooking, which also indicates the success of the recipe and that you have done well with them.

In our culture, there are those who associate the success of the recipe with psychological factors – if you cooked for satisfaction and lots of love, you would succeed in your recipe. But if you’re in a bad mood, there’s a good chance your recipe will end in disaster. We find that some people say that while cooking, the person should be in a positive state of mind, calm and not picking up the pace.

Baghrir are served with mint tea or coffee in different ways depending on the region.

In Kabylia, it is served filled with olive oil and sprinkled with sugar or honey most of the time, and sometimes sprinkled with a traditional syrup made from orange blossom water and Cinnamon, called drinks, but in the rest of the country it is consumed with butter and honey.

In northwestern Algeria it is called Baghrer. In the eastern countryside they call it Hatta. In the Greater Kabylia region, it is called Tajrin or Tabojin. In the small region of Kabylie and Corsa in Constantine it is called Bagaya. While in Tunisia, it is called Todfest.
Baghrir is also known as the “thousand hole crepe”, and is of Moroccan origin.

Although its nutritional value is reasonable at 174 per 100 grams, it is important to know how to use it wisely because decorations can add calories very quickly.

During a slimming program how can we optimize the tasting of Baghrir?

Baghrir itself is interesting because it is a food that will easily suppress cravings.

High in slow sugar and low in fat, it responds effectively. However, the toppings you choose can double or even triple the calories.

Why not opt for a light baghrir, with only one type of sugar accompanied by a fruit-based shake?

In this case, 200 kcal 100 grams will not be exceeded, which is a reasonable snack, which can lead to too heavy meals in the diet.

You can prepare delicious pancakes in various shapes. Here is the most successful and simple way:

First, the ingredients:

• 2 cups of sweet semolina;
  4 cups of lukewarm water;
• 1 cup flour;
• 1 bag of cake yeast;
• 1 teaspoon of dry bread yeast;
• 1 sachet of vanilla sugar ;
• A pinch of salt ;
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar.

 Preparation method:

1- Put the dry yeast in a bowl with a little warm water to loosen it.

2- In the electric mixer, pour flour, semolina, baking powder, vanilla sugar, salt and diluted yeast at the same time.

3- Add lukewarm water and mix for a few minutes.

4- Add vinegar and mix again.

5- Pour the dough obtained into a concave bowl, cover and leave there at room temperature, that is to say from 20 to 25°C for about an hour.

6- In a non-stick pan, pour a spoon of dough without pre-fattening it with oil or butter, then gently spread the dough and cook over medium heat until the mixture dries after the formation of a set of cavities.

7- Cook the Baghrir on one side only.

Depending on the reaction of the dough (Depending on the heat of the environment, the heat of the plate/pan or the gas, etc.), you need to put more or less dough, let the dough settle. spread out on your own and if necessary, help it by moving the pan a little… You have to find your own way of cooking them.

Serve the Baghrir hot, with melted butter syrup and honey.

The Baghrir or the pancakes with a thousand holes, is a dish of Moroccan origin, but also very well known internationally. Have you ever tasted it?

If you plan to cook it, just follow the recipe we just shared. We are looking forward to the photos of your Baghrir 😉.